Wednesday marks the first time since May 10, 2019, that the singer has spoken in court.
Critics of the state’s conservatorship law, led by the American Civil Liberties Union, regard the legal process of conservatorship as extreme, opaque, paternalistic and often unnecessary.
Her father, James “Jamie” Spears, 68, was appointed her co-conservator in 2008 along with a lawyer, Andrew Wallet, who resigned in March 2019.
Jamie Spears was replaced by professional conservator Jodi Montgomery, who was appointed by a judge to care for Britney Spears’ security, visitors and medical treatment.
Jamie Spears objected to the proposed management arrangement with Bessemer, arguing that it reduced the power he’s held for years in the case, but the judge overruled his objections in February.
“Now it’s important for people to understand that I have zero respect for someone trying to control our relationship and constantly throwing obstacles our way,” he wrote.
In April, Lynne Spears asked the Los Angeles County Superior Court in a court filing to require her ex-husband’s law firm Holland and Knight to reimburse their daughter’s estate for several “unnecessary” fees.
In December 2019, Britney Spears’ conservatorship won a defamation lawsuit against blogger Anthony Elia, whose website “Absolute Britney” was a predominant voice in the #FreeBritney movement.
“As a general matter we worry about conservatorships and have found that it’s very easy to get into and extremely hard to get out of, and the problem is they are stripping a person of all her civil rights and liberties,” Brennan-Krohn says.